Device for supply replenishment of an underwater habitat



July 8, 1969 L. s. JUE 3,453,834

DEVICE FOR SUPPLY REPLENISHMENT OF AN UNDERWATER HABITAT Filed Jan.10,1968 Sheet of 2 INVENTOR. LAWRENCE S. JUE

BY T C/M KW); i2 4 W July 8, 1939 L. s. we 3,453,334

DEVICE FOR SUPPLY REPLENISHMI'INI' 01- AN.UNDERWATER HABITAT Filed Jan.10, 1968 Sheet 3 of 2 l m L I INVENTOR. LAWRENCE .S. JUE A United StatesPatent US. C]. 61-69 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The disclosurerelates to a method and means for transferring materials and suppliesbetween a submerged chamber and the surface of a body of water in whichthe chamber is submerged. Such a transfer is achieved by controlling thevertical displacement of a buoyant container by selectively reeling inand unreeling a downhaul whip from a winch contained within the chamber.Lateral positioning of the buoyant container for facilitating thetransfer is achieved by providing a pivoted davit-like arm or atelescoping boom. Both the arm and the boom are provided with a portionthat is selectively positionable immediately adjacent an opening on thebottom of the chamber in the inboard position and laterally beyond thephysical limits of the chamber in the outboard position. The inventionprovides a means for an underwater transfer that does not require thatoperating personnel get Wet, that is to say, a transfer between thechamber and the surface may be readily achieved by personnel controllingthe transfer from within the chamber.

STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT INTEREST The invention described herein may bemanufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States ofAmerica for governmental purposes without the payment of any royaltiesthereon or therefor.

Background of the invention Recent widespread developments in adaptingman to an undersea environment have focused scientists and designersattention on the problem of supply and materials replenishment to thesubmerged habitats. Since mental and physical strains attendant underseaoperations are relatively great, every effort is being made to minimizethese strains to make undersea operations more bearable. Current methodsof supply replenishment require that the habitat occupants leave thehabitat and go outside to effect the materials transfer via a singleanchored cable or an endless belt, clothesline-like arrangement.Obviously, putting on a wet suit, leaving the habitat, carrying thesupplies back to the habitat, and unsuiting involve a great deal ofactivity that preferably should be eliminated.

Summary of the invention The present invention is directed to providinga device for transferring a buoyant container between a submergedchamber and the surface of a body of water. The chamber is provided withan opening on the bottom in communication with the surroundingenvironment Since 3,453,834 Patented July 8, 1969 the chamber ispressurized, the surrounding water is prevented from entering andfilling the chamber. An extensible means in the form of a telescopingrod section or a pivoted, underwater upside-down davit is mounted on thechamber and has a portion which is selectively positionable in aninboard position and an outboard position. This portion is formed toreleasably secure the buoyant container and to hold the container whenthe portion is being laterally displaced. When combined with a means forcontrolling the vertical displacement of the container, preferably inthe form of a winch having an uphaul whip connected to the container, atransfer of the container between the opening and the surface of thebody of the water is achieved without requiring that the operatingpersonnel leave the submerged chamber.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a device foreffecting the transfer of supplies between the surface and a submergedchamber.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device for effecting atransfer of materials between the surface and a submerged habitat inwhich habitat personnel control the transfer from within the habitat.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device that enables anunderwater transfer of relatively heavy objects.

Still another object is to provide an apparatus for underwater supplyreplenishment that involves no undue physical or mental strain on thecommitted personnel.

An additional object is to provide a means for effecting an underwatersupply and materials transfer that is rugged and extremely reliablethereby being ideal in deep submergence work.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this inventionwill be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood byreference to the following detailed description when considered inconnection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Brief description of the drawings Preferred embodiments of the inventionReferring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a chamber 10 submerged in abody of water and moored on the bottom by a plurality of chains 11connected to embedded stanchions or similar mooring devices. Here, forpurposes of the immediate disclosure, the chamber is separated into ahabitat portion 12 and an observation-supply transfer portion 13 havinga dependent rectangularly shaped passageway 14 terminating in an opening14a. Since the interior of the chamber is directly exposed to thesurrounding water, it is necessary to pressurize the chamber to equalthe surrounding water pressure to prevent flooding of the chamberinterior. Pressurization from compressed air bottles or from a lineextending to a compressor on the surface keeps the level of thesurrounding water at the opening or at a desired level within therectangularly shaped passageway.

A container 30 includes a supply and materials compartment 31 having alid 31a provided with an uphaul pad eye 31b and a float compartment 32provided with a downhaul pad eye 32a. The load capacity and thedisplacement of the materials compartment and the float compartment mustbe such that even when the materials compartment is fully loaded, thefloat compartment will render the entire container buoyant. It can bereadily seen that heavy loads can be transported easily by merelyincreasing the size of the float compartment. Since the container issubjected to substantial variations in pressure as it passes from thehabitat to the surface, suitable seals and lid securing means, wellknown within the art, must be provided. To facilitate ease in openingand safety, a valve for the supply-material compartment can be providedto equalize the pressure in the compartment to the pressure of thesurroundings when a transfer between the chamber and the surface hasbeen made.

A hollow L-shaped, underwater upside-down davit 20 is pivotally mountedon the bottom of the supply transfer portion of the chamber and isprovided with a plurality of internal guide rollers 20a. The davit issecured by several braces 21 and well known seal bearing support 22mounted in the floor 13a both being suitably constructed to bear theforces involved when transferring the container. A rotation pulley 23 issecured to the inner end of the davit and is operatively connected to arotation crank assembly 24 by an endless cable 24a. By manually turningthe crank assembly, the davit can be made to transverse a 360 arc. Onthe outward end of the davit a shaped portion 20b is formed toreleasably support the container.

An electrically or manually operated downhaul winch 33 is adapted tostore a downhaul whip 34. The whip extends from the winch through thedavit, passes over the guide rollers, and is attached to downhaul padeye 32a on the container. The whip is of sufiicient length to permit thebuoyant container to make a controlled ascension and descent the entiredistance between the habitat and the surface. The whip is either atreated wire rope or a polyethylene line, both of which are noted fortheir strength and ability to resist the effects of salt water corrosionand chafing. A line of similar material, an uphaul whip 35, is connectedto the uphaul pad eye 31b and extends to a surface winch and craneassembly 36.

The davit is selectively pivotable about a 360 arc to freely positionthe container supporting shaped portion 20b laterally from the chamberas shown in phantom by the reference character or directly adjacent theopening.14a as shown by the reference character 16. When the shapedportion is radially displaced to position the container adjacent theopening, an overhead hoist 36 is extended to connect to uhaul pad eye31b and the entire container can be raised through the transfer portionand into the habitat portion of the submerged chamber. A Wheel and trackassembly 37 supporting the hoist permits a selective transversepositioning of the container within the habitat. To prevent damage tothe container and to the chamber during raising and lowering operations,the supply transfer portion is provided with a pair of girdling fairingextensions 17.

In operation of the invention, communications between the chamber andthe surface are essential. Telephone communications or an acoustic codemust be established to insure that eflicient transfer occurs.

To send supplies from the surface to the habitat the uphaul winch andcrane operator lowers the container to the surface of the water, andwhile so doing, signals to the subferged chamber that the loweringoperation is beginning. Upon receiving an additional signal from thesurface, the downhaul winch operator commences to reel in the downhaulwhip and, in so doing, pulls the container beneath the surface of theWater and toward the submerged chamber.

In order to insure stability of transfer, that is, toresist the effectsof current and tide, the uphaul crane operator maintains tension on theuphaul whip. When the downhaul winch operator observes that thecontainer is close to shaped portion 20b, he signals the uphaul craneoperator to relieve tension on the uphaul whip. Additional rotation ofthe downhaul winch places the container on the shaped portion andcircumferential rotation of the davit via crank assembly 24 positionsthe container immediately adjacent Opening 14a. The overhead hoistoperator connects the overhead hoist 36 to the uphaul whip pad eye 31band hoists the container 30 into the habitat. Since there is no tensionin the uphaul whip 35, the whip follows this operation effortlessly.During the hoisting operation, the downhaul winch operator will play outa sufiicient length of downhaul whip 34 to enable the container to beraised into the habitat.

To effect a chamber-to-surface transfer, the container is placed on theshaped portion and the davit is cranked to a position lateral of thechamber. Upon signaling the surface, tension is brought to bear on theuphaul whip and a slight amount of drag is maintained on the downhaulwhip as it is unreeled from the downhaul winch. When the containerreaches the surface, a signal from the surface to the chamber indicatesthat additional downhaul line should be released to permit the uphaulcrane operator to raise the container from the water onto the surfacesupport vessel.

While what has been described has been a pivotal davit, it is readilyunderstood that a telescoping extension could be used to selectivelyposition the container adjacent the opening and laterally from thechamber. Additionally, an arrangement of weights and pulleys within theobservation chamber can be provided to take up slack or fluctuations inthe length of the whips caused by wave and tide action on the surfacevessel.

It should be understood that the foregoing disclosure relates only to apreferred embodiment of the invention. Numerous modifications oralterations may be made therein without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention as set forth.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for transferring a container having a watertight supplycompartment and a float compartment between a submersed chamber and thesurface of a body in which said chamber is submerged comprising:

access means disposed in the bottom in said chamber having an openingsized for permitting the passage of said container therethrough;

means for pressurizing said chamber to expel water from said accessmeans; extensible means mounted in said chamber having a portionselectively positionable adjacent to said access means and lateral fromsaid chamber, said portion adapted to releasably secure said containerthereto;

means for controlling the vertical displacement of said container whensaid portion is disposed adjacent said access means and when laterallydisposed from said chamber to permit the transfer of said containerbetween said chamber and said surface including a downhaul winchdisposed within said chamber and a dawnhaul whip extending along saidextensible means and being connected to said container for controllingsaid vertical displacement;

means disposed on said surface for stabilizing said container having anuphaul whip connected to said container for stabilization thereof duringsaid transfer; and

5 6 means for hoisting said container from said access References Citedrsrggilshirriltgesaid chamber being adapted to traverse UNITED STATESPATENTS 2. A device according to claim 1 in which said exten- 3,299,6451/1967 Link 114 16 XR sible means includes; 3,330,509 7/ 1967 Barchet21412 XR an upside-down davit pivotally mounted on the bot- 5 313885836/1968 Barhlte et 114-46 ton of said chamber and a rotation crankassembly disposed Within said cham- GERALD FORLENZA Exammer' bermechanically cooperating with said davit for po- FRANK E. WERNER,Assistant Examiner. sitioning said portion adjacent said opening andlateral from said chamber, said davit having means for 10 US. Cl. X.R.guiding said downhaul whip. 21412

